From Tourist to Pilgrim

Radio Vaticana - Vatican News
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Most visitors to Rome would be surprised to discover that many of the amazing sights that delight tourists today were first created for pilgrims. What may seem like just another city square to a tourist is transformed into a spiritual itinerary in the eyes of a pilgrim. Art historians and scientific experts take us on a journey: each episode of this podcast reveals the hidden beauty of Rome, seen through the lens of a pilgrimage. - Podcast - Radio Vaticana - Vatican News

  1. 05/08/2025

    From Tourist to Pilgrim - Ep. 21: Michelangelo's Pietà in St. Peter's Basilica

    Michelangelo's Pietà requires no introduction, a masterpiece seemingly descended from heaven, which moves us and invites us to reflection. Countless eyes have met the gaze of Our Lady, and untold prayers have been offered before this image, carved by Michelangelo when he was only twenty-three years old.

    3 min

  2. 05/01/2025

    From Tourist to Pilgrim - Ep. 20: Apsidal Mosaic of St. John Lateran

    In the apse mosaic of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cross represents Christ, who is flanked by the Blessed Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. The four saints alongside Christ hold scrolls with texts attesting to His divinity. From the Cross flow streams of water, from which deer drink, an allusion to Psalm 42:1: “As the deer longs for flowing streams, so longs my soul for thee, O God.”

    4 min

  3. 04/24/2025

    From Tourist to Pilgrim - Ep. 19: Tomb of Saint Paul, Apostle to the Gentiles

    The body of St. Paul the Apostle was buried around three kilometres from the site of his martyrdom, in a burial site along the Via Ostiense that belonged to a devout Christian woman named Lucina. Shortly afterwards, the tomb would become a place of worship and veneration, as recounted by Fr. Edmund Power, OSB, Abbot Emeritus of the Abbey of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

    3 min

  4. 04/17/2025

    From Tourist to Pilgrim - Ep. 18: The Holy Crib

    The Basilica of St. Mary Major is filled with many chapels, which range from extremely ornate to humble. Built by popes, cardinals and pious confraternities, their ancient mosaics tell the history of salvation. The Baptistry and the relic of the Holy Crib, in which Jesus was laid in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem, complete the ensemble of splendors contained within the Marian Basilica's walls. Each column, painting, sculpture, and ornament of this Basilica resounds with history and the prayers of our forebearers, as explained by Andreas Raub, Artistic-Scientific Director of the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

    5 min

  5. 04/10/2025

    From Tourist to Pilgrim - Ep. 17: Tomb of St. Peter, a poor fisherman

    The tomb of the first Pope, St. Peter, was at first a modest burial site, on which a small funerary aedicule was built around one hundred years after the Apostle's martyrdom. The presbyter Gaius commemorated the site at the end of the second century, according to the historian Eusebius of Caesarea (Ecclesiastical History, 2, 25, 6-7). Often referred to as the "Trophy of Gaius," the aedicule pointed early Christians to the tomb of Peter, which was the destination of devout pilgrimages, even before the time of the Emperor Constantine.

    3 min

  6. 09/10/2024

    From Tourist to Pilgrim - Ep. 16: Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica

    Bernini’s goal in designing the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica was to make the pilgrim experience wonder. As we gaze with the eyes of a pilgrim, we see the choir singing at Mass and the incense rising to Heaven, as the Holy Spirit erupts into the Church and we become a special part of this mystery. "From Tourist to Pilgrim" is a podcast by Liz Lev, with original music by Mara Miceli and Umberto D'Auria, editing and sound design by Mara Miceli, and directed by Johana Bronkova.

    7 min

  7. 09/03/2024

    From Tourist to Pilgrim - Ep. 15: The Colosseum

    Rome's tourist Mecca par excellence, the Colosseum has stood for almost two thousand years. The magnificent amphitheater once built for the bloodlust of the Romans later became the greatest monument commemorating the Passion of Christ and His first followers. Its lesson is not how human beings can be seduced by the mob’s love of violence, but that the message of Christ's peace retains the power to persuade and transform, despite the passing of centuries. "From Tourist to Pilgrim" is a podcast by Liz Lev, with original music by Mara Miceli and Umberto D'Auria, editing and sound design by Mara Miceli, and directed by Johana Bronkova.

    8 min

  8. 08/27/2024

    From Tourist to Pilgrim - Ep. 14: The Spanish Steps

    The Spanish Steps owe their existence to pilgrimage. When pilgrims made their way along what is known as the Via del Babuino and Piazza di Spagna, they had to make their way up a hill in order to get to the road that leads to St. Mary Major. King Louis XV offered to build a set of stairs that spread out at the bottom to gather people together, resulting in an embrace that seems to reach the Trinity at the very top. "From Tourist to Pilgrim" is a podcast by Liz Lev, with original music by Mara Miceli and Umberto D'Auria, editing and sound design by Mara Miceli, and directed by Johana Bronkova.

    7 min
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About

Most visitors to Rome would be surprised to discover that many of the amazing sights that delight tourists today were first created for pilgrims. What may seem like just another city square to a tourist is transformed into a spiritual itinerary in the eyes of a pilgrim. Art historians and scientific experts take us on a journey: each episode of this podcast reveals the hidden beauty of Rome, seen through the lens of a pilgrimage. - Podcast - Radio Vaticana - Vatican News

Information

  • Creator
    Radio Vaticana - Vatican News
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2017-2026 Dicasterium pro Communicatione
  • Show Website
    From Tourist to Pilgrim